Genres

On its surface, the idea of making a 2D car combat game seems.... odd. The beauty of combat racers is the feel of being inside a course, smashing against walls and flying around corners on the way to victory. As a side-scrolling, 2D racer, you'd think Delta-V Racing wouldn't be able to capture the kinetic, drift-induced frenzies that its 3D counterparts are. But thanks to some smart level design and interesting implementation of popular combat mechanics, Delta-V Racing is a solid title, despite its over-simplicity in some areas.

I've only tried one other Vanillaware game, and that's Muramasa Rebirth. While I did understand the appeal, it was still an experience that left me feeling cold, and my expectations for their next release plummeted. Regardless, I still felt like I should give their next effort a chance. I'm glad I did, too, because Dragon's Crown is one of the finest games I've played all year.

Have you ever wanted to manage a company of interstellar mercenaries? Sure, who hasn't? Have you ever wanted to distill the act of managing that company of interstellar mercenaries down to a card game, complete with blind booster packs and rare cards? That...might be a harder sell. However, Rivals at War: 2084 does just that, and manages to be quite fun and engaging for a game that you don't actually play.

Imagine a world filled with an adorable, cartoon-like visual style. Suddenly, the level's door opens and out comes this incredibly heroic-looking "Bobâ" figure, cape and all. Now, out of nowhere, this incredibly exhilarating music fades in... and you set your eyes upon the trials that lie before you, from two measly spikes to a fear inducing 2% of unoccupied screen space.

Only Shigeru Miyamoto could have come up with Pikmin, an often difficult real-time strategy game starring cute, altruistic plant creatures that are willing to do anything for strangers, no questions asked. The first two titles were big hits for the Gamecube, and for eight years fans have been waiting for Pikmin 3. Well, the wait is over and, at the very least, longtime fans and newcomers have another excuse to boot-up their Wii U.

Upon releasing Mikey Shorts in 2012, BeaverTap Games suddenly found themselves at the forefront of handheld platforming, perfecting the speed run formula with impeccably-designed levels and controls in their debut iOS tit It was hands down one of the best iOS releases of the year - and as I often do these days with games and movies, I prayed the inevitable sequel didn't ruin my fond memories.

Three things in this world are certain: death, taxes, and stealth missions in video games. Some games include stealth missions for variety or back-of-box feature lists, and others include them as an alternative to smash-and-grab gameplay. Few games really focus on covert gameplay as a primary mechanic, and that’s probably because making good stealth games are hard. Monaco: What’s Yours Is Mine from Pocketwatch Games proves that stealth doesn’t have to be a trudging experience for players.

The Fast and the Furious films - which I've today learnt have long been cut down to just Fast and Furious - are pretty strongly focussed on a particular sort of person. It is perhaps the best example of the car porn genre, showcasing flash vehicles, sexy women and loud rap music.

Also known as Stealth Bastard, this quirky, charming puzzle/stealth platformer is filled up to the brim with personality. The developers make this incredibly clear through sarcastic, subliminal messages throughout the course of the game... and they don’t go easy on you. This is by no means bad criticism. On the contrary, messages likes ‘You’re not too bright are you?’ and ‘Was I not clear enough?’ spread very cleverly across the game making the player want to surpass the ingenuity of each level and strive towards that magnificently brutal ‘S’ ranking.

It can be easy to find fault with some of the Square Enix iOS releases: whether its laughably bad pricing models (Final Fantasy: All the Bravest, Demons' Score) or overpriced re-releases (the Final Fantasy re-releases), there are times where it feels like Square's reaching a little too far into the wallets of gamers. But there's no denying their support for mobile platforms: with over two dozen releases under their belt, from Chaos Rings to Space Invader: Infinity Gene - and their latest title, the entertaining-but-repetitive Bloodmasque.